The Guy Who Won't Put Away His Laptop

[Vyse]

Friend saw this on a flight last week, was curious what the pros think of this one:

During takeoff/landing, the crew makes the usual announcement to turn off all electronic devices. Passenger ignores the announcement and continues to work on his laptop. The third time the flight attendants come through the cabin asking him to turn it off, he sighs, closes his laptop and puts it in the seat pocket.

As the plane makes its takeoff/landing, the passenger, seeing that the flight attendants are now strapped in and can't stop him, takes out the laptop and continues to use it until the flight attendants are unseated.

What could the captain do? If it's a landing, the flight has arrived at its destination so ejecting him from the flight seems pointless. Bust him for willfully disobeying a crew member? Or do you just leave the matters to the FAs to handle it.

Variation: you're dead heading, and you're sitting next to this guy.

[Hernandezcfi]

I take a peanut and flick it at just the right angle off the seat in front of him so it ricochet's into his throat while he is laughing about outsmarting the FA's. He gags, dies and then I grab his laptop and give it to the FA telling her/him that my sleeping friend feels so bad he would like to have her/him keep it as a token of his appreciation for all the hard work and customer abuse they must endure.

[falconvalley]

IMO 9 times out of 10, the captain probably wouldn't hear about it until after landing. The 1 time probably depends on the captain. If a flight attendant called me and told me about this, I would imagine they felt it was a bigger issue than just someone won't put away their laptop and deal with it over the PA.

[Mr_Creepy]

I'd ignore it.

They've yet to prove that laptops are dangerous anyway.

[EDUC8-or]

Originally Posted by Mr_Creepy

They've yet to prove that laptops are dangerous anyway.

A flying laptop could be pretty dangerous. Also, if he has his tray down and he's in an aisle seat he could potentially be trapping people if there was a need to evacuate.

[Doug Taylor]

Technically, you could have him arrested for non-compliance with a directive from a crew member. That's probably the textbook answer.

But how much you want to bother with it, it's up to you.

[SkyCougar]

Originally Posted by Doug Taylor

Technically, you could have him arrested for non-compliance with a directive from a crew member. That's probably the textbook answer.

But how much you want to bother with it, it's up to you.

That sounds like it would generate a lot of paper work.

[Doug Taylor]

Ehh, perhaps a "COR" or something. Don't even ask me what it stands for. Perhaps one of the other Southerjetters can chime in.

Usually when we've had to have a smoker arrested for failing to cease, the station manager generally takes control and coordinates with the airport police.

[Cherokee_Cruiser]

Originally Posted by Mr_Creepy

I'd ignore it.

They've yet to prove that laptops are dangerous anyway.

Doesn't matter, your average John Doe doesn't know any better.

If you are a deadheading pilot in uniform sitting next to this guy, tell him that "Did you know that the gamma rays from your laptop can interfere with the airplane's navigation receivers? While it doesn't matter during cruise, it is extremely critical during takeoff. You don't want anything BAD to happen to this flight, do you?"

I bet you 9/10 would put away the laptop and be scared the rest of the flight.

[88MPH]

Yell "this guy is a terrorist" and enlist everyone on the plane to kick the living #### outta him.

Then take his laptop and wiz in it.

[JJ429PA]

I'd ignore it.

They've yet to prove that laptops are dangerous anyway.

The part that bothers me is that those people think they're so much smarter than everyone else. "Whatever, no one tells me what to do..." They said to turn your stuff off, so just do it. It sets a bad example to not enforce crew instructions.

[MQAAord]

When people would do crap like that on my flights (and yes, I've had this same scenario happen to me) I just get on the PA and keep repeating "again, please turn off all electronic devices". Repeat, over and over and over and over again while staring at the offending passenger. Eventually, everyone starts to look around to see why I'm repeating myself, and the offender gets embarassed and puts said laptop away. Works every time.

Electronic devices can interfere with aircraft systems. To what degree, and how many devices are needed to cause interference, who knows. Testing like that would require gads of time & money that no one wants to spend. Bottom line, it's a requirement that all electronics be turned off. So do it. You can survive without your precious lapotp on for a few minutes.

If said pax did refuse to comply, I'd tell the CA upon taxi-in, and have the cops meet the pax. Not necessarily to arrest or charge him (unless he was a real tool), but more to scare him and let him know that, yes, the rules apply to him too.

[LoadMasterC141]

Originally Posted by MQAAord

Electronic devices can interfere with aircraft systems.

Mybusters busted that! And we all know if its' Myth BUSTED! it must be true!

It is obvious MQA has done this FA thing, OH, a time or two
Definitely the best answer to me. If I was the Captain getting the call, I would be thinking "must be one of those junior FA's".

[Doug Taylor]

Cellphones when they go into 'search' mode or change towers can affect communications. There's this loud "budda bup BAAAAT budda bup BAAAT" over my headsets whenever one of the crew has their cellphone on at times.

[Soul Brotha']

Originally Posted by Doug Taylor

Cellphones when they go into 'search' mode or change towers can affect communications. There's this loud "budda bup BAAAAT budda bup BAAAT" over my headsets whenever one of the crew has their cellphone on at times.

Yeah, you always give that look to the Captain and vice versa to see who left their cell phone on. The funniest thing is when you are coming in to land and you get a voice mail message tone while out on final. "Crap, my bad."

[Booker]

Here is how a friend of mine (the FO in this story) handled a similar situation: Day four of four, last leg back to the base, last flight of the night, and someone won't turn her cell off on the ground. The FA finally gets her to shut it off, so off they all go. Out of sterile, the FA calls up front and advises that the offender placed a call as soon as the wheels were up and refused to comply with the FA's instructions to knock it off. So the FO hits the PA and advises everyone that the passenger in seat XX seems to have a very important phone conversation going on, and that they will be returning to the airport so she can conduct her business. And furthermore, everyone else gets to spend the night at the hub, since the crew will run out of duty time by the time the authorities get everything sorted out, and there are no later flights. Everyone can thank said passenger for the detour. Coincidentally, as the FO is hanging up, they get direct destination, which results in a sizable turn that, if one hadn't been paying attention, could be construed as a turn back toward the airport. That plus forty-nine sets of fiery staring eyes were enough to whip the person into shape post-haste.

...And everyone lived happily ever after.

[Mr_Creepy]

I used to have my laptop on in the cockpit all the time. Never did a thing.

Nokia phones make a loud racket over headphones, but it's still possible to hear transmissions.

This myth about laptops causing a plane to "hardover" is just that - a myth.

[ljg]

Can you imagine if 1) people were allowed to use their cellphones in flight, and 2) technology improved so they would never lose their signal?
No thanks!

[JDMcFly]

I can't really stand the 'rules don't apply to me' crowd.

[Queboat]

pilots wearing headsets in a jet? why? i never understood this one.

[SkyCougar]

Originally Posted by ljg

Can you imagine if 1) people were allowed to use their cellphones in flight, and 2) technology improved so they would never lose their signal?
No thanks!

I know that the technology is available, but I hope that never comes to pass. An airplane is one of the few places that one can get away from people yammering away on their cell phones.

[jbpetty6203]

Ok, I am going to throw my experience I had on here, just to see what you all think about this. Anyway, last year I was on my way back to my base where I am stationed from Krygystan, a 4 month deployment, which was my third in as many years. Those of us in uniform usually fly back to our bases in the states on commercial aircraft and in civilian attire for security reasons. Anyway headed out of BWI to CLT, on a CRJ, cant remember the airline.
But anyway, the gentleman beside me was on his blackberry typing away as what I was guessing was an email. Engines crank up and the FA announces to turn off his cell phone as she walks by. Well he keep swrite on going, the other FA walks by and asks him to turn it off, this guy is so encompassed in his phone he just nods and keeps right on "trucking" anyway the first FA that told him to turn it off comes back and sees that he is still on it. This time I am getting a little aggrevated and somewhat interested as too what he is really typing away at on this thing. Well she advises him to turn it off once again, and hes like "ahhhh hold on a sec, here just hold on, here i've got something to show you" right then I paid close attention to everything he was doing with that phone. She told him to give her the phone and he refused. At this point in time I am ready to tackle this guy if he touches another key on that thing, I didnt fly half-way around the world to get blown up by this guy. Well she turns around and tells the pilot the situation at this point I feel the aircraft do a sharp 180 and start a pretty brisk taxi back to the terminal, with airport police cars escorting us on either side. He looks at me and says geesh i guess i kinda pissed her off, I said yeah they tend to get that way when ppl dont listen to them. Anyway, plane stops at the stand and 3 police come on board, I look at him and say you have fun with those guys while I enjoy my flight home, he just looks at me and then gets escorted off of the plane, for wat I assumed was not a pleasant stay at BWI. Anyway thats my story I really couldnt believe this guy, and with my military experience I was very tempted to intervene but thought against it, the crew is trained and knows wat they are doing.

[Alchemy]

Originally Posted by Queboat

pilots wearing headsets in a jet? why? i never understood this one.

Fly a pseudo-jet made by brazilians and you would understand. Louder than a chezzna in there. I <3 david clarks, mostly because of all the cool hair-dos they give me after those 3.5 hour flights.

[mtsu_av8er]

Originally Posted by Queboat

pilots wearing headsets in a jet? why? i never understood this one.

So that we can hear when we're 50!!

[surreal1221]

Originally Posted by JDMcFly

I can't really stand the 'rules don't apply to me' crowd.

"Hey dude. . .I paid $50 for this seat. . . I can do what I want."




Never blame the consumer some around here will say.